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• Lions are not the worst predators, as most animals react to the sound of humans with great terror.
• In experiments in South Africa, researchers played sounds of human conversations and hunting to study the animals’ reactions.
• Almost all 19 species of mammals observed in experiments left bodies of water twice as often after hearing human conversation compared to lions.
• Fear of people has taken root and spread everywhere, but this does not help animals avoid danger.
• Continued fear could lead to population declines in many savannah animal species.
• Bioconservators can use knowledge of mammals’ fear of humans to conserve endangered species.